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Lexus RX 450h features heads-up display

May 15, 2009 at 3:09 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Lexus

Lexus HUD

The latest generation Lexus RX450h now features a heads-up display which can present vehicle speed, navigation arrow view directions, audio information and warning messages from various systems like the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Pre-Crash Safety (PCS) systems.

In the UK market, it is standard equipment on the RX450h SE-L Premium, and it’s display position and lighting intensity can be adjusted according to ambient light via controls near the steering wheel. The Lexus HUD system uses white as the colour for the HUD display, a colour that is rarely used because of its tendency to blend with the exterior background. Lexus went around this by using high intensity LEDs. They then tested it out on the snow-covered roads of Hokkaido.

They probably insisted on having it white to maintain a consistent look with the rest of the instrument lighting, which is white. As far as I know there is no HUD on the RX offered in Malaysia, which is the RX350 model.

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The Elektrobay electric car charging station!

May 15, 2009 at 2:03 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Elektrobay

One main issue with electric cars is charging on the go, where can you charge your vehicle and be properly billed for it if you want to charge it away from your home? This problem also applies to people who live in condos. A British company called Elektromotive hopes to solve this with their EBConnect system, together with their Elektrobay prototype.

The Elektrobay is a fully operational charging station that is said to be compatible with all plug-in electric and hybrid cars. The Elektrobay’s power sockets are located under a secure weatherproof door. While charging is in progress the door is locked shut with only a small hole for the power cord to hang out of it, to prevent interference. It puts out 240V and 13A in the UK or 230V and 16A in Europe, but tere is also a 3-phase “fast charge” prototype in the works which supplies 32A in effort to reduce charging times.

The charging bay then communicates with a billing server with EBConnect, which manages 2-way data exchange of electricity usage and billing data via GSM networks. The system allows the user to pay via various methods such as a prepaid Elektrobay keyfob, or automatically added to the user’s household electricity bill, or even via SMS messaging, and automatic registration number recognition.

The first Elektrobay was installed back in 2006 in London, and the total amount of Elektrobay stations now stands at 100 around the city. Another 40 will be added in cities and shopping malls around UK. Elektromotive also supplies the Elektrobay to Holland, Sweden, Germany and Ireland.

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Skoda Yeti production car rolls out of factory

May 15, 2009 at 1:19 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Skoda

Skoda Yeti

The first Skoda Yeti production car rolled off Skoda’s Czech Republic plant earlier this week, and according to them it marks Skoda’s entry into the “crossover” segment.

In case you were wondering what a “Yeti” is, it’s not a made-up name. It’s what people call the legendary abominable snowman in the Himalayan region where the creature is said to live. But back to this Yeti. The Yeti is another one of Skoda engineers unique creations from the Volkswagen Group parts bin. Another example is the Roomster.

Skoda Yeti

It may have tough looks but it’s not very big though, with a wheelbase of only 2,578mm, which indicates its likely to be using the PQ35 Golf platform. It’s 4,233mm long, 1,793mm wide and 1,691mm tall. On the interior it features a rear seat system called Varioflex which essentially allows you to extend boot space up to 1,760 litres.

Under the hood are a few engines such as a 1.8 litre TSI engine and a 2.0 TDI engine. The Yeti is also equipped with a 4X4 system with a 4th generation Haldex clutch system for those that intend to take it on rough roads, and it also has a 180mm ground clearance to help with that.

Look after the jump for pix and a video of the Yeti.
[Read more...]

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Peugeot Lion Save Package Promotion for the Peugeot 407 and 308 VTi

May 14, 2009 at 5:52 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Peugeot

Peugeot 308 VTi

Malaysian Peugeot distributors Nasim Sdn Bhd is currently having a promotion for the Peugeot 407 and the Peugeot 308 VTi (the 1.6 litre normally aspirated baseline model, shown above) called the Peugeot Lion Save Package where buyers will get a 70% markdown on their respective scheduled service maintenance charges for the first 60,000 km or 36 months, whichever comes first. Nasim will also be providing free V-Kool vouchers for the Peugeot 407 and free Solar Gard vouchers for the 308 VTi. The promotion runs from tomorrow until the 15th of June 2009, a period of 1 month.

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Can Proton cars run RON95 octane fuel?

May 14, 2009 at 4:18 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Proton

ProtonI sent a query to Proton when the RON95 introduction was officially confirmed on whether their engines would be compatible with the new fuel. From what I understand from reading some comments on this site and on other forums apparently there are some Proton manuals that call for RON97 fuel to be used. So I think it’s best to get an official answer from the manufacturer.

Proton’s powertrain department have tested all of their engines including the Mitsubishi models and have stated that all Proton cars can run on RON95, despite what they’ve stated in their manuals (why???). This includes the old carburetor cars, the Renault engines, and the new Campro CPS engine.

There is only one issue. They acknowledge some of the old carburetor cars may experience knocking depending on the condition of the engine and needs to go into the Proton service center to adjust the engine’s ignition timing.

This happens to carburetor engines because a carburetor cannot inject fuel as accurately as a fuel injection system, thus sometimes the air-fuel mixture is too rich. All the unburned fuel results in lots of carbon deposits, which change the shape of the combustion chamber and causes pre-mature ignition, which results in engine knock. Any high mileage engine may also have the risk of carbon deposit build up.

So if you have an old Wira or Satria with a carburetor, you are at a higher risk of engine knocking if you use RON95, if you didn’t have it already with RON97 of course. Any other high mileage car is also at a risk because of carbon build-up that can happen over time, even with a fuel injection system. For those that are a little adventurous, RON95 is now available at the Petronas stations in Precinct 9 Putrajaya so you can go try it out.

And of course, saying your cars can run on a certain fuel octane grade without knocking is one thing, but it’s another to say it would run at the same level of performance and fuel economy because of the ignition timing adjustments, whether manual or automatic.

If you would like to learn more about what RON really is, read the related link.

Related Post:
What is RON (Research Octane Number)?

105 Comments      

1,000 bookings for Tesla Model S sedan!

May 14, 2009 at 2:50 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Tesla Motors

Tesla Model S

Tesla Motors has revealed that it has garnered a total of 1,000 bookings for its second model, the Tesla Model S. Tesla calls it a 4-door electric sedan with 5+2 seating – that’s something new! 3 rows in a sedan, with the +2 referring to child seats hidden somewhere way at the rear somehow I guess.

To make a booking you have to place a US$5,000 booking fee that is refundable but that means US$5 million in Tesla’s hands right now. The base model will cost US$49,900 after a tax credit because of the car’s zero emissions. The tax credit is quite substantial at US$7,500.

Tesla claims a 300 mile (480km) range (160 miles for the baseline model and another 230 mile model) and a recharge time of 45 minutes from a special external 480V QuickCharger line, or several hours (overnight) with a regular electrical outlet between 120V to 240V.

Tesla Model S

The company also claims the car’s floor-installed battery packs can be swapped out in less than the time it takes to fill a full tank of petrol, so in the future you could actually go to “battery stations” and swap out your batteries for a freshly fully charged new set instead of stopping and waiting for a full charge.

0 to 100km/h takes only 5.6 seconds which is pretty rapid for a sedan, and power goes to the rear wheels via a single speed transmission, but there are plans for the future for all-wheel drive models. For the US market the cars will naturally be left hand drive but right hand drive models will also be available later.

Look after the jump for a video and photo gallery!
[Read more...]

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New Kia Forte sedan spotted in Shah Alam!

May 14, 2009 at 10:12 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Kia, Koreans, Malaysian Makes, Naza, Spyshots

Naza Forte
Click for enlarged image

UPDATE: The Kia Forte has been launched in Malaysia. Follow the link for more details on specs and price.

Reader acesDSI spotted this Kia Forte with JPJ plates roaming the streets of Batu 3 Shah Alam heading towards Section 20 Shah Alam. It looks like the good-looking Kia Forte is going to be launched soon, and sources in Naza say it’s most likely to be offered in CKD locally assembled form.

Although we cannot really see the badge on the car because of the resolution of the photos, the photographer said the car had Naza badges on, so maybe what we’re going to get is a Naza Forte instead of a Kia Forte.

Naza Forte
Click for enlarged image

There are positive and negative points about that, firstly having a Naza badge on is likely to give the company more bargaining power with duties resulting in a lower price, which is ultimately beneficial for consumers if a simple badge swap (that could even be supplier by showrooms) will “fix” it. Secondly it will stop potential customers from waiting for Naza Kia to Naza-ize a Kia Forte in anticipation of further price drops.

If the Naza Forte is to become a proper bread and butter sedan for Naza Kia it has to replace the Spectra in the product range so expect it to come with a 1.6 litre engine, with larger engines reserved for the Kia Koup 2-door coupe which I tested in South Korea recently.

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New Volkswagen Polo: hi-res shots and footage!

May 13, 2009 at 7:22 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Videos, Volkswagen

New Polo

Volkswagen has unveiled full details and images of its latest Volkswagen Polo. For those that like how the new Polo has turned out, here’s a huge photo gallery for your enjoyment. The full hi-res versions can go up to a megabyte in size so they’re perfect for wallpapers even on high resolution screens.

The body is longer (+54mm), wider (+32mm) but lower (-14mm) than the outgoing Polo which are differences that are always seen as desirable as it makes the car have a sportier stance. Wheelbase has gone up slightly by 4mm. With the additional width, track is now also wider by 29mm at the front and 30mm at the rear.

New Polo

The new Polo comes with a total of 7 different engines, of which 5 of them are new for the Polo. The diesel line-up is now completely TDI, which means Pump Duse is phased out even on the low-end models. The Polo can consume as little as 3.6 litres of diesel per 100km with the 90 PS TDI model.

One new engine that was first introduced on the SEAT Ibiza is the new 1.2 TSI, producing 105 PS from a small 1.2 litre turbocharged engine. This baby can put out 175Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm and is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission. The 1.2 TSI is the most powerful engine for the Polo so far until the Polo GTI comes out, which could feature either 150 PS or 180 PS versions of the company’s 1.4 TSI.

Look after the jump to enjoy the shots and footage!
[Read more...]

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2010 Opel Astra: first details unveiled!

May 13, 2009 at 1:28 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Opel, Vauxhall

Opel Astra

The new 5-door Opel Astra hatchback is built on the same new global Delta platform as the Chevrolet Cruze, and hopefully if this crucial model is as good as the Opel Insignia was, things will look pretty bright for GM Europe. As usual with Opels it will be sold in the UK as a Vauxhall.

As with most hatches sold in Europe there is a never-ending list of engine options available to suit the requirements of a wide scope of society. You have a 1.4 litre, a 1.4 litre turbo, a 1.6 litre turbo (180 horses in the Insignia), and a trio of turbodiesels with 1.3 litre, 1.7 litre and 2.0 litre capacities. The 1.4 turbo engine is new, and is said to eventually make its way into the American market. The higher powered versions of the Cruze will also eventually get this engine in certain markets.

Something different is the new “Opel Eye” system which is essentially a driver assistance camera mounted between the rear view mirror and the windshield that recognises raffic signs that indicate speed limits or overtaking bans and displays them in the instrument panel. It also provides a lane departure warning.

A public debut of the new Astra will be held at the 2009 Frankfurt Motorshow in September, and will hit the showrooms by end this year.
[Read more...]

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Chevrolet Lova (Aveo) facelift unveiled in China

May 12, 2009 at 11:37 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, China, International News, Koreans

Chevrolet has launched the facelifted version of the Chevrolet Aveo Sedan in China. The new notchback sedan Aveo gets the front end and grille from the latest Aveo hatchback. This attempts to bring it closer to a family resemblance to its larger sibling, the C-segment Chevrolet Cruze. The Chevrolet Aveo notchback sedan is also sold in Malaysia in 1.4 litre form for about RM69,888 to RM72,888, last I checked. Look after the jump for a gallery of images, mostly snapped in China, where it is known as the Chevrolet Lova.
[Read more...]

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